Space – whether it’s the final frontier or the place where no one can hear you scream, the place can be pretty damn scary. So here’s a list of some of the scariest glimpses that film has brought us. The 6 Most Terrifying Movie Versions of Space.

#6. Critters 4

Granted, this movie definitely leans more on the terrible than the terrifying side of things, but it’s Critters! Who didn’t love the zany, rodent-like monsters running amuck in the late 80’s early 90’s? Just me, huh? Whatever. The premise is that Charlie (our series-long protagonist) is cryogenically frozen in a pod with two of the critter eggs and then shot out into space. A space ship finds the pod, defrosts Charlie’s passengers, and carnage ensues. What makes Critters 4 terrifying is the fact your stuck in the middle of space with furry basketballs trying to make Jump Ropes out of your intestines, yes there’s comedy (some intentional, some not) but who said terror has to be devoid of slapstick?

#5. Apollo 18

The found-footage phenomenon finally made its way to space with Apollo 18. The basic set up is that a group of astronauts are sent to the moon for what they think is a routine mission that turns out to be everything but that. Without giving too much away, what makes Apollo 18 truly terrifying is…wait for it… the non-escapability of the situation. There is literally nowhere to go. The characters are stuck in the closest of quarters as they slowly drift into madness. What amps the ‘creepy’ factor in the movie in my personal opinion is the monster, I thought it was different and pretty creative.

#4. Sunshine

Even though Sunshine isn’t what one would define as a horror movie, the premise is still pretty nerve-wracking. It takes place 50 years in the future where our Sun has gave us all the finger and put in his two week notice, a team of scientist flies a ship into the sun with nukes strapped to its back in hopes of “jump starting” the Sun. If you’re waiting for the terror part, do this experiment. Go outside or to the nearest window and stare at the sun. Hurt doesn’t it? Now imagine flying into that sucker. Terror achieved. One thing that works for all space movies is the idea that if you fail at whatever mission you have to accomplish up there, there’s a good chance that you won’t make it back to earth. In Sunshine, if these guys fail, there won’t be an earth to come back to.

#3. Pandorum

Imagine, you wake up on a spaceship and you don’t quite remember who you are. Now add the fact that this spaceship you’re on is looking pretty empty, now add that the ship isn’t really empty it’s just that most of your shipmates are now cannibal aliens and the rest of you are dinner. That, my friends, is Pandorum-flavored terror. Pandorum has SO many great things going for it. You have isolation, terror, and a massive ship that can hide all types of nasty things that want to eat you. Plus, a killer twist to boot, a solid movie for the list.

#2. Event Horizon

Event Horizon poses the question: what exists beyond space?; it also answers that question, Hell (Creationist 1- science 0). The premise of the movie is that in the hopes of finding faster ways of traveling to far away galaxies, a ship is created that harnesses the power of a black hole to punch a hole in the space-time continuum. Unfortunately for them, they don’t find a new galaxy but punch a hole straight into Hell. Not only does Event Horizon embody all the things that normally make space terrifying, but it adds a whole new dimension – evil. The set pieces are beautiful and the movie is enjoyable start to finish.

#1. Alien

Come on, you already knew who had the top spot. How can you mention space-themed horror and not mention the legendary Ms. Ellen Ripley? Not only did Alien set the benchmark for space terror, but it also gave the moviegoers an awesome female lead that we could stand behind. From the face huggers to the iconic chest burster scene, Alienis Space Terror. I cannot WAIT to see what Prometheus brings to the franchise.

Did I miss any? What versions of movie Space do you think is the scariest?

8 thoughts on “The 6 Most Terrifying Movie Versions of Space”

The only movie not on the list that came to mind was Starship Troopers. Some may say it’s just a fun, tongue-in-cheek, campy gorefest; but, personally, I find GIANT alien super bug swarms capable of launching interstellar attacks and a leader that sucks out our brains pretty freakin’ terrifying.

I’m going to go with a weird choice too and go with… Moonraker. Come on, that laser battle in outer space is terrifying. Men flying into the atmosphere, into the deeper reaches out outer space, dying of asphyxiation as the massive space station crumbles? Spooky.

How’d you forget 2001:ASO? That movie scared the crap out of me much more than any of these other ones. The second half of the movie is these two guys alone in space with some crazy, malfunctioning computer!

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The FTS blog and podcast started in March of 2010. Six friends from Baltimore, MD got together every week to talk about the latest film releases. As the blog post and episode count grew, so did our team. Today, FTS is the home for many contributors all over the globe. More than just movie lovers, we are also friends. We celebrate everything you love about movies because we love it too.
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